Self Regulated Learning-What is it?

It seems that one of the buzzes around the province these days  is around "self regulated learning".  I have been fascinated listening to the conversations and though I have heard speakers talk about it, and have read some of Shanker's work, I never seem to quite get the whole picture.

This week, I had the opportunity to talk with a professor, Dr. Nancy Perry,  from UBC  - her area of expertise is Self Regulated Learning.  She has a very straight forward approach that I could absolutely understand!  She prepared a handout that is adapted from an article she wrote in theReading Teacher.  This is her summary:  

Self-regulated learners are:
1.  Metacognitive - they are aware of their strengths and weaknesses as a learner, they are aware of the task demands, and they are aware of strategies that they can use to solve problems and cope with difficult tasks.
2.  Motivated for learning - they engage in learning, they focus on deep understanding and personal progress, they are willing to try new challenges, they persist and they view errors as an opportunity to learn.
3.  Strategic - they have a repertoire of strategies, and they know when to use them.

Wow!  This is great.  Much of this is what we are working on in Through a Different Lens ... without knowing it!  We are looking at helping students become more confident learners... how?  through understanding their strengths, through becoming motivated and engaged, and through thinking about how to apply what they know to different academic and social tasks.  There are many blogs on our Different Lens blog that illustrate teachers using strategies to help kids become more aware.

Dr. Nancy Perry goes on to say that self-regulated learning occurs in classrooms where:
1.  Students have a lot of autonomy - choices, control over challenges, opportunities to collaborate and responsibility for evaluating their own work.  
2.  Teachers provide instrumental support - through establishing routines and consistent participation structures, where they teach and model learning and problem solving, where they guide students thinking and performing, and where they guide student choices, provide information, feedback and encouragement, and where they talk about learning and self regulated learning
3.  Teachers engage in non-threatening evaluation practices - where evaluation is on-going and embedded, where it is a process not just a product, where it focuses on personal progress, and where it encourages learners to participation in the evaluation.  

Again... I see so much of what we are trying to do embedded in her words.  Giving students choice and opportunities to work with others, providing support and modeling learning, and using alternate ways to evaluate progress. 

How Lucky Am I?

What great people I get to work with.  We had a meeting at Maggie on Tuesday where the teachers talked about the work they are doing, and the kids they are focusing on.  I so appreciate their commitment and the trust that has built in the group.  What a great group!  I learn something at every meeting.

The consensus of the group is to carry on next year, with the same kind of commitment and focus, but to broaden the group and let it grow if others are interested.

The report written for the Vancouver Foundation really shows how powerful the work is.

FIRST SEMESTER DATA: The Story

At the end of semester 1, all of the secondary teachers in the project got together to work on their case studies.  There were 12 case studies of students who had completed term 1 courses.  There was also pre and post surveys for the 7 completed secondary classes. 

It took a great deal of time to work through the data and try to make sense of it.  The survey data was complicated and I was very fortunate to be able to work with Sharon Jeroski.  Sharon helped me look at the survey data in many different ways and then find the ways that best tell our story.

The case studies were fascinating and I read them over and over looking for themes. The themes soon became very evident.  And so... the writing began.  The report itself is 13 pages long and I hope to figure out how to attach it to the blog.  But for now I will attach the final summary.

When I read this summary again -- I am really struck by the hard work, the creativity and the commitment of the teachers involved in this project.   All of them tried new ideas, focused on students that desperately needed their attention and care, and shared their excitement and insights with all of us.  I can say for sure that the kids benefited from being involved -- and I am quite sure that all of us adults did as well.

In Summary:

            The purpose of the Through A Different Lens project was to see if we could remove some of the barriers to learning that our vulnerable students face, particularly our Aboriginal students and students with behavioural difficulties.  Teachers in the project made a commitment to teach and assess in alternate ways in order to capitalize on students’ interests, talents and strengths.  Each teacher recorded the strategies that they used and the students’ response to those strategies, with a focus on one or two students at-risk in their classrooms.  This was not an easy task, as many of the students that they focused on had difficulties in both academic and social areas – behavioral issues, emotional issues, attendance problems, drug and alcohol dependencies, and unstable home lives.

            Case studies completed in January 2012 on the twelve students from seven semestered academic secondary classrooms showed the power of this work.  Eleven of the 12 students successfully completed the course by January, with only one student continuing to work on completion.  In all cases, the teachers observed their student(s) at-risk engaging in the content to a greater degree, participating in class, and interacting with both the teacher and the other students more often and more successfully.  In addition, these students who do not normally feel that they are academically capable began to demonstrate their strengths and talents in the classroom.  Student interviews with both students who are academically successful, and with our students at-risk, showed how students positively respond to being taught and assessed in more interesting, hands-on and creative ways  (see “student voice” on through a different lens blog, http://differentlensblog.blogspot.ca/p/student-voices.html), and how they appreciate having choices in their learning.

            Student surveys reinforced what was learned in the case studies and interviews.  All students felt more academically confident, more socially engaged (positive relationships with teacher and peers), and more aware that they had strengths and talents that could help them and others in the class learn.

            Strategies that the teachers found most successful with these 12 students included: Connecting with the students strengths and interests; establishing a positive relationship with the student; partnering students with other students depending on the need; teaching using a variety of creative, hands-on, interesting and ‘fun’ ways; and scaffolding the learning.

            Teachers in the project grew professionally as they shared ideas with colleagues, observed students, planned with their student at-risk in mind, and worked diligently to establish positive relationships with the students.  These teachers made a huge commitment to their students and to the project, and experienced some powerful successes with some of our most vulnerable students. 

Play Dough...a little bit of fun...is that all it is?

This is my second blog about Glasser’s 1990 book on The Quality School.  I keep finding quotes that seem so relevant to this project.  In this set of quotes Glasser talks about how students perceive "good teachers":

“Students tell me that a good teacher is deeply interested in the students and in the material being taught.  They also say that such a teacher frequently conducts class discussions and does not lecture very much.  Almost all of them say that a good teacher relates to them on their level; the teacher does not place herself above them, and they are comfortable talking with her” (p.66).

 “Students also tell me that they appreciate teachers who make an effort to be entertaining.  To maintain student interest month after month in potentially boring courses, good teachers try to inject humor, variety, and drama into the lessons.  How to be entertaining cannot be taught:  Each teacher must work it out in his or her own way, but it is another way to gain admission into students’ quality worlds.  … the desirability that a teacher be entertaining is a further indication of how difficult it is to be an effective teacher” (p. 67).

Glasser continues to say that in many schools to be “entertaining” is frowned upon… there is a belief in “no pain/no gain”.  People don’t understand that “boredom is the enemy of quality”.  He says that we must “nurture teachers as they struggle to put fun and interest into their work”.

I must say I think Glasser was talking about what we are doing – we know the relationship piece for sure, we also know about the important of being passionate about the content… and some teachers in this project are really trying to add the novelty, the variety, choice, and some fun; finding what fits for them.  Glasser believes FUN is a real need.  One that we have underutilized in school for many years… to play with ideas and concepts, to work together with others, to have fun – these are relevant and meaningful ways to learn.

Glasser is not alone, Albert Einstein said “Games are the most elevated form of investigation”;Pat Kane, author of The Play Ethic says “Play will be to the 21^st century what work was to the last 300 years of industrial society—our dominant way of knowing, doing and creating value;and Brian Sutton-Smith, professor of Education at the U of Pennsylvania “The opposite of play isn’t work.  It’s depression.” 

Thus… the Play Dough challenge for the month of February.  Along with all the other creative and interesting things you are trying... try some playdough and think outside of the box!  Successful or not -- that is okay.  Just let us know where it really works.  Let’s have a little fun and share our ideas with each others… in this way we will do what Glasser suggests about nurturing each other as we attempt to put some fun and interest into our work.

Our Project: Links to Restorative Practices

Over the past few months Dave Kroschinsky and I have been offering a series on Restorative Practices.  The group has been reading the book “The Quality School:  Managing Students without Coercion”.  One of the main topics of our conversation is on Quality World.  Quality World is basically the photo album of pictures (or perceptions) you have in your mind that represent what you best enjoy in your life (p.59).  Your photo album is full of pictures of your family and friends, things you like to do, places you have fun, fulfilling jobs -- all the people and things you find need-fulfilling.

The interesting thing is how Quality World fits with our project.  Kids that are disengaged from school have basically removed ‘school’ from their Quality World as a need-fulfilling place.  They have removed ‘school’ and most teachers from their picture of what satisfies their needs. 

The big question is What can we do to facilitate these kids putting school back into their Quality World?  because if they don’t – then they will continue to be disengaged  in school or they will physically drop out of school. 

Guess what?  This is exactly what we are looking at in our project.  What are the two biggest ways to facilitate kids putting school back in their quality world, or for that matter, facilitating all our kids keeping school in their quality world?

-       relationships – helping kids feel they belong with us, in our classrooms, and in our school.

-       engaging students through their interests, strengths, and helping them connect their work to their world…. meaningful work. 

So why do strategies like 2 x 10 work?  Why do kids attend our classes more than other classes when we are open to their strengths?  Why are they more interested when there is novelty, fun, interesting assignments?  Because you have been actively facilitating students keeping school in their quality world, you are helping them get their needs met, giving them some power over their work through choices and interest, and providing places where they at least see the potential for meaningful work.

Glasser, W. (1990).  The Quality School:  Managing Students Without Coercion.  New York:  Harper and Row Publishing.

Bumper Stickers

At our last professional development session we made “bumper stickers” to sum up the main points of our learning about assessment – a strategy that can be used in content areas to help kids remember the main kernels of information, or to take the information to a deeper level, by playing with it in some way.

Over the past couple of weeks in our monthly meetings at schools I have been listening for the kernels of what the teachers are saying, to see what they are thinking, observing, and wondering about their students, and their teaching / assessment practices.

Here are a few things that I have heard:

Partner thoughtfully for success

(The way we partner up our kids makes a huge difference --

especially those kids who are struggling)

Social engagement … first step to achievement?

(Social engagement doesn’t necessarily mean the kids learn more – however, they are there (and wanting to be there), attending, and participating… which means there is more potential that they will learn)

Community Matters

Teaching differently is energizing

(Yes it is exhausting too, but more fun for the teacher as well as the students.

One teacher said she is tired and trying to cut back on the planning

but when she goes back to an old lesson “it’s just too boring” for both her and the kids)

Some of the messages that teachers think are getting through to our kids at risk are:

Somebody cares

I believe you can do this

You are worth my time

You CAN learn

I am learning so much from the conversations each month at each school, and am so thankful for the honest discussions, the questions, and the thoughtful approach that each person is taking. The diversity in grade levels, subject areas, and experience of teachers has added such richness to this project.

Fixed or Growth Mindsets

Carol Dweck is a researcher who has done some interesting studies in “mindsets”. She says “the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you commit to and accomplish the things you value.” It is all about whether or not you have a “fixed mindset” or a “growth mindset”.

A fixed mindset is “believing that your qualities are carved in stone”. People with fixed mindsets tend to spend their life trying to prove to others that they are intelligent. They evaluate every situation on whether they will look stupid or smart, be accepted or rejected, feel like a winner or a loser. They don’t take risks because they may look stupid in front of others. We all have kids like this in our classrooms… they may be at risk, or they may be very successful – but they spent a lot of energy protecting themselves.

A growth mindset is when you believe you were given certain traits – but these traits are merely a jumping off point in your life. You believe you can grow and change through effort. It is effort rather than intelligence that moves you forward. You believe your true potential is unknown and that you can achieve many things in your life if you try hard enough or have enough passion. We have these kids in our class too. Kids who accomplish things through sheer effort – who take risks and grow and change right in front of us.

Fixed mindsets stop us from growing... we ask questions like “Are you sure you can do this?” “Maybe I don’t’ have the talent”, What if I fail? “People will laugh at me if I am wrong”. With a Growth mindsets we say “I am not sure if I can do it, but I think I can learn if I try”, “Lots of successful people have failures along the way”, “Basketball was hard for Michael Jordan… but with passion and hard work he succeeded”.

I don’t know about you but I have seen lots of kids and adults that stand out in my mind as examples of both of these mindsets. I have seen very successful students with fixed mindsets – who leave high school and drop out of college because it’s too hard and they just aren’t used to putting in that much effort. I have also seen kids who are at-risk with fixed mindsets… “It’s too hard”, “I can’t do it”, “I’m stupid”. Dweck says this is because they are not equipped with to deal with challenges. “When they hit more difficult work… they begin to doubt their intelligence, they withdraw their effort, and their performance suffers. We have seen this happen with successful students … they lose their confidence, their liking for school, and their determination to do well."

On the other hand, I have seen kids who work hard in their classes or sports believing that they can succeed if they put in lots of effort, who are curious, take risks in class in order to learn, who fail things and are concerned but not devastated that it makes them “stupid”, saying things like “I didn’t study hard enough”. In fact, Dweck says that these students are the ones who “see the more difficult schoolwork as a challenge to be mastered through hard work, and they are determined to do what it takes to meet these new challenges."

The interesting part of all of this is that Dweck says we can teach kids (at school or home) to have a growth mindset. “Teachers should help students value effort. Too many students think effort is only for the inept. Yet sustained effort over time is the key to outstanding achievement. In a related vein, teachers should teach students to relish a challenge. Rather than praising students for doing well on easy tasks, they should transmit the joy of confronting a challenge and of struggling to find strategies that work.”

“Students who view that intelligence is a potential that they can develop do fare better when faced with challenge.” I believe that is what we are trying to accomplish in this project. We are trying to teach our kids in many different ways that they can learn, grow and be successful – through effort -- and through changing their mindset about themselves.

-google "Carol Dweck" for articles and interviews on mindsets.